Ireland beat Australia 33-31 in Nations Championship opener

Ireland snatched a dramatic 33-31 victory over Australia on Saturday in the opening round of the inaugural Nations Championship, as replacement prop Thomas Clarkson's 77th-minute try and Sam Prendergast's conversion completed a remarkable comeback at a sold-out Allianz Stadium in Sydney.abcnews+2

The result gave Andy Farrell's side a sixth successive win over the Wallabies, though the match came down to the final seconds when Australia flyhalf Ben Donaldson pushed a long-range penalty attempt wide after the siren, denying the hosts what would have been a memorable upset.straitstimes+3

A Ten-Try Thriller

The lead changed seven times in front of a record crowd of 41,971 at Allianz Stadium. Australia raced into the ascendancy through early tries from Dylan Pietsch and Jock Campbell, establishing a 24-19 halftime lead. Ireland kept themselves alive through scores from Cian Prendergast, Josh van der Flier, and Jamison Gibson-Park, who crossed just before the break.abcnews+1

The Wallabies pushed 12 points clear in the second half through further tries from Jake Canham, Tate McDermott, and Darcy Lonergan, but Ireland fullback Hugo Keenan and then Clarkson brought the visitors level before Prendergast's boot proved the difference.bbc+1

Schmidt's Era Nearing Its End

The match carried added weight as one of Joe Schmidt's final games in charge of the Wallabies. Schmidt, who previously coached Ireland, will remain for two more Nations Championship fixtures — against France in Brisbane next Saturday and Italy in Perth on July 18 — before handing over to Les Kiss on July 20.abcnews

Under Schmidt, Australia endured a winless tour of Britain late last year and entered Saturday on a four-match losing streak. The Wallabies showed clear improvement against Ireland but were left to rue Donaldson's miss from beyond 40 meters.rugby+1

Nations Championship Opens With Drama

The new World Rugby competition pits northern and southern hemisphere teams across two conferences, with six rounds leading to finals in London in late November. Saturday's other results delivered similarly tight encounters, with New Zealand edging France 34-32 in Christchurch and Japan defeating Italy 27-10 in Tokyo.abcnews